The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) recently convened with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to address the pressing security situation in the country and the escalating cost of food items.
During the meeting, which included a representative from the Department of State Services (DSS), the governors collectively resolved to take several measures:
- Enhancing Intelligence: The governors pledged their support to the NSA office within their respective states, aiming to improve the nature and quality of intelligence.
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Foreign Exchange Reduction: To mitigate reliance on foreign exchange, imported goods, and services, they advocated for moral suasion to reduce demand. This strategic move aims to tackle both the current security challenges and food stability issues.
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Immediate Actions: The NGF expressed their commitment to implementing emergency food interventions. These include incentivizing food production, releasing food items from strategic reserves, and collaborating with food millers and commodity traders across their states.
The NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, disclosed the decisions in a statement following the forum’s first emergency virtual meeting in 2024.
The statement read:
“We, members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), at our emergency virtual meeting held the 6th February, 2024 following a briefing by National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the representative of the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), deliberated on the security situation and food stability in the country and resolved as follows:
“Recognised the need to address the connection between food inflation, naira depreciation and rising insecurity across parts of the country from a systemic perspective and called for urgent discussions with and synergy amongst stakeholders in improving the situation in the shortest possible time.
“Agreed on the following immediate actions: Reduce Foreign Exchange Demand: by use of moral suasion to reduce dependence on foreign exchange, imported goods and services. Improve Foreign Exchange Supply: by easing commodity export requirements to encourage exportation and supply of foreign exchange; Curbing illegal export of solid minerals; and increasing crude oil production to earn more foreign exchange.
“Support improved Enforcement efforts: by reviewing the extant criminal justice laws in the States to ensure quick dispensation of justice on perpetrators of insecurity in the States; supporting the office of the National Security Adviser in the States to enhance the nature and quality of intelligence.
“Reiterated Governors’ commitment to deploying emergency food interventions, including incentivizing food production, release of food items from strategic food reserves and collaboration with food millers and commodity traders in their various States to boost food availability as an immediate short-term action.”
